Home
by SophieSaulie
Summary: A sequel to Mercy. Not a deathfic, but there was a death in Mercy so fair warning. A death in my own family prompted inspiration to give closure to the story, Mercy.


**Home**

**A sequel to Mercy. I had a death in the family recently and it inspired this continuation of my story, Mercy. Fair warning, it's a deathfic, but one that's already happened.**

It took Steve a while to overcome his own grief though he wasn't sure if he had completely, but he knew he had owed it to Danny to table his own loss and provide comfort to Danny's Grace. From now on, she would come first in his life just as she had in Danny's. He would keep his promise.

After Danny had died in the hospital, Steve had just sat in Danny's room, weeping. The last time he had cried like that was when he was 16 years old, hearing about his mother's death. Then, like now, he had holed up to cry privately, not wanting his father to see him. Steve knew that he wouldn't be able to hold them back when he went out to tell Rachel and Grace if he didn't allow this one moment of mourning for himself. He would crumble under the weight of the loss and he couldn't do that to them. He didn't know how long he had wept, but he did until he had no more tears to shed, at least for that moment. Once he felt that he had enough control, he went out to face them. His legs had felt like lead. He felt like he was dragging them every step of the way. He hated death notifications when they were to strangers. This was close to home. Suddenly, he remembered his father telling him that he had felt sorry for the cop who had to deliver his mom's death to them. Though he had delivered many of them, he couldn't help wishing that someone else was doing it instead of him and yet, at the same time, he also knew that there was no one he would let do it. It was a cross he had to bear for someone who deserved to have someone he trusted break the news to his family. The person he lost his life saving.

Rachel, Stan and Grace saw him coming and the looks on their faces said it all. One thing Steve couldn't do was mask the expression on his face and for sure his red eyes from having been crying. Danny had teased that he had a face and it was true. Steve had to swallow back the emotion that memory had stirred in him as he kept walking towards them.

Rachel was shaking her head in an act of denial, mouthing "no, no, no." Stan was genuinely moved as well, giving Rachel the needed support to lean on. Danny had confided in Steve, after the housing commissioner was jailed for his extortion of Stan, that he had learned to accept Stan's presence in his ex-wife's life, that though he had made a mistake for not coming to Danny in the first place, his intentions had been honest so Steve had reserved that respect for him as well. He would not let him be a poor substitute of a father in Grace's life though. That, Danny couldn't abide and he had made Steve promise to not let that happen and though Steve wasn't sure he was up to the task of becoming a father figure to Grace, he would do his best to honor Danny's wish. Clearly, Danny had felt Steve worthy enough and had trusted him with the raising of his daughter without reservation. He would do his best to measure up to that trust.

Stan hugged Rachel and held her tightly, letting her cry into his chest. Steve detected no insincerity there. When he got to them, he knew that Grace needed him most. He saw the fear and apprehension on her face along with the tears in her eyes. Danny had prepared her as best as he could for this day because he knew that it could happen someday so Steve knew that Grace understood what was happening so he was resolved in not babying her, but he was also hoping to tap into some kind of strength from Danny to be as supportive and gentle with her as he had always been with her. Steve took Grace's hand and walked her over to a waiting room chair. They both sat down and Steve looked into her eyes as he took both her hands in his. He took in a much needed breath and thought, "Danny, if you're here, I hope you'll help me do this right."

"Grace, your dad, he was hurt very badly and I want you to know that he fought hard to get better and stay with you, but he couldn't…" Steve said, cursing himself internally that he was doing everything wrong. "He loves you so much."

Grace then couldn't stop the tears, her brave little girl façade fading away.

"Daddy's gone to heaven?"

Steve almost lost it at that moment as more of the reality set in.

"Yeh, sweetie, your daddy's in heaven and I promise you, he is watching over you there. He'll never be gone from your heart."

Grace nodded.

"From your heart too, Steve?"

That had broken him. Steve couldn't hold back his emotions anymore. The tough guy Navy SEAL who had resisted all manner of torture in his time had been broken by the words of a beautiful little girl. He took Grace gently into his arms and sobbed softly.

"Yeh, in my heart too, Gracie, in my heart too."

He then let Grace sob into his chest as he looked up at Rachel and Stan, his eyes, filling with more of his own tears. Rachel nodded to him with a shaky smile to let him know that she had approved of his words and he even saw a hint of gratitude there. He then allowed himself to give into his emotions and he held Gracie tightly, hoping Danny had approved too of how he had handled things.

**505050**

There were times before the funeral that Steve had found himself recalling a memory that would cause him to feel his chest tighten like when he went back to Danny's place to get his uniform and found the picture of him and Grace or when he found Danny's St. Michael's medal on the night stand. He hadn't worn it that day and though Steve wasn't a religious man, he let a fleeting thought filter in that maybe if Danny had worn it, he'd still be alive, but then he'd scoff that Danny wouldn't agree and would just rant at him about not blaming himself. He pocketed the medal and hoped that Danny wouldn't mind him taking it as an every day reminder of how lucky he was that he had a partner like him. Someday he would pass it on to Grace when he could no longer protect her himself.

Steve had talked with Rachel and she had agreed that after the policeman's funeral due him, Danny would be buried in Jersey, to finally rest in the place that he had always considered home. Steve flew back with the casket alone.

He had been with Danny's family graveside, sadly, his brother, Matt was absent and even though Steve had tried to let it go, for Danny's sake, in his heart, he was angry that Matt hadn't had the courage to face up to his mistakes back then and now, he was somewhere unreachable, a fugitive, all the time that he could have spent with his older brother lost. He'd never know he'd lost a brother or if he did find out somehow, that he wouldn't be coming back to pay his respects because he'd be arrested. No matter what Danny had said to blame himself for failing his brother, Steve knew that what had happened to Matt wasn't Danny's fault.

One by one he told each of Danny's family members about what a courageous and heroic man Danny had been, that he had died saving his life, and that it had been a privilege to have been his partner. Each of them gratefully acknowledged Steve for bringing Danny back home. They had told him that he would always be welcome, that as far as they were concerned, he was family. Once again, Steve had to bring every ounce of willpower to bear to keep from breaking. He saw through them how Danny had become the kind of man he had been. They had invited him back to their house, but Steve respectfully refused.

He stayed behind at the graveside for a few minutes longer, the casket waiting to be lowered into the hole in the ground. Steve felt his legs feeling leaden again, finding it difficult to walk away because he knew that once he did, it would be to leave Danny for good. He almost felt a sense of betrayal at leaving Danny alone there. He placed a hand on the casket, bowed his head in tribute, and took in a breath.

"Danny…I…" Steve said, his voice trembling, his expression changing from profound sadness to a small grin. "I never thought I'd be saying this, but what I wouldn't give to hear you ranting at me again, telling me to get on with my life, to frustrate some other hapless partner like I did with you…"

Steve then straightened up. He looked skyward. It was a beautiful sunny day, cloudless and crystal clear.

"I will keep my promise to you. I'll take care of Grace, but I gotta say, I think she'll be taking care of me too. Somehow I think you knew that. Rest peaceful, partner. You've earned it and… I'm sorry…but thanks for saving my life in more ways than you know."

Steve walked slowly away, his heart heavy, his soul burdened, but he knew that those feelings would pass, that he would go back to Chin, Kono and Five-0 renewed in fulfilling a partner's promise. He needed to get back to his home and take over protecting it as Danny had, for Grace.

**FIN. Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed it.**


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